Chereads / Holders: Cold Dimensions / Chapter 3 - Chapter Three: The Split

Chapter 3 - Chapter Three: The Split

As Hebiami and Boro stood silently in an alley of the town they landed in, they wondered how they would get back home. A second unstable portal would be too risky to try and enter again, after all the first was impulsive. The one-time way to Antarctica unfortunately only worked in the respective dimension it was asked for in.

 "Why don't we search for the alternate version of you in this world?" Boro asked, breaking the silence.

They were unsure of where to start their search until they heard a voice call out to them from the street that lead into the alley where they stood. A one eyed elf that carried vials of water on his waste and wielded a staff with a lantern on its end, approached them.

"Another odd snake..." The elf whispered to himself as he got closer

"You, you're a human but not like one from 'that half' and you're obviously not from 'this half'." He said as he curiously examined Boros flowers and the outfit Hebiami wore. 

"That half? This half?" The muddled expression Hebiami wore as he asked these questions stood out to the elf.

How could someone from here not know about the 'split'? 

"You're not from this world are you?"

Quickly coming to and accepting this realization, the sharp elf told the story of the 'split' to Hebiami and Boro.

Before the separation of the world was enacted humans, robots, and elves lived in peace with each other. That was until the bombing and destruction of the human and elven city, Shiro-6. The bombing was executed by robots and killed thousands of civilians. Those deaths laid the foundations to the construction of a wall that would split the world in two, and the beginning of war against the robots that left them completely extinct. The wall was built by humans and elves to separate the two in the hope that a tragedy like Shiro-6 would never happen again.

After hearing this story Hebiami and Boro felt as if they were back to square one.

A world not divided in two would be a lot easier to explore than one that was. 

"The names Hkra" The elf said, finally introducing himself 

"Hebiami, and this is Boro"

"You should spend the night at my shop Hebiami. Humans aren't supposed to be on this side of the wall and you don't want to get caught." 

Not wanting to get thrown in jail, or worse, Hebiami reluctantly agreed to Hkras offer.

Realizing that Hebiami would need a disguise to get to his shop, Hkra reached for one of the vials of water hanging from his waste and spoke to it. 

"What is your wish, soul?" His hands glowed a bright gold when he whispered those words.

As the glow from his hands faded he smashed the vial, now empty, into the lantern on his staff. The lantern twitched in Hebiamis direction and changed his appearance into that of an elf. 

"Wish magic." Hkra said with a flaunting smile.

On their journey to Hkras shop Hebiami and Boro took in the beauty of this dimension. Parts and pieces of giant robots sat on hills, overgrown with plants and marked with drawings made by the children from nearby towns. Mountain ranges, that were home to giant white furred beast, covered the setting sun like a veil. Towns that lit up as the darkness of the night peaked its head more and more. And the lakes rippling as giant birds, with cat like tails, landed to rest their eyes. 

Hkras shop sat in front of a lake with trees at its back. As they got closer to the shop, Hebiamis disguise began to fade and a light shined from the lake.

"She's here again..."

When Hkra and Hebiami reached the back of the shop they saw a girl in the middle of the lake. She was standing on what appeared to be a small glowing ball with one leg, while she let the other hang.

"Mio!"

Mio turned her head when she heard Hkra.

As she floated towards the side of the lake where Hkra and Hebiami stood her eyes widened and a snake manifested on her, it draped from one shoulder to the other.